Lakeland Leather, a family-owned clothing retailer based in the north of England, has collapsed into administration putting 200 jobs at risk.

The retailer, which has 22 stores, sells fine leather goods including jackets and handbags, but said demand had been low over the mild winter, The Telegraph reported.

Managing director Martin Foster said that the decision to call in administrators had only been taken after a “ceaseless interrogation” of the alternatives. The company has appointed McTear, Williams & Wood as administrator.

It is understood that a deal may be in place to try to rescue some of the stores, but four have already closed.

Richard Standring, who founded Lakeland Leather in the 1960s, said he was “not giving up” on saving the business.

The retailer - which is not connected to the kitchenware retailer Lakeland - is based in Ambleside in Cumbria. It has stores across the Lake District and the north of England, but also has shops in Gloucester and Swindon.